Indonesia’s rich cultural art had always fascinated the outside world and it is undeniable that the stunning work of Batik, which is masterfully created by experienced artisans, deserved to be presented as The Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2009.
Batik is the art of wax-resistant dyeing which is then applied on the whole of white cloth. The art of Batik-making involved a couple of thorough steps, in which all stages of the process are carefully conducted by the hands of the noble artisans. The product itself is then also called Batik.
The value of Batik is reflected in the long hours of workmanship, endurance and creativity of the designing lines and dots applied on the fabric.
Most of the time, you will see that all of the artisans are women. While there is no absolute truth in this, it is said that men are rarely able to complete the whole process of making the Batik because they require a lot of patience and tolerance.
Did we manage to pique your interest about the Batik-making process? Read on as we bring you on the journey, as witnessed first-hand by Good Times2 during our visit to Indonesia last month.
The first process of making Batik begins from little drawings on white pieces of fabric.
This first step will allow you to enjoy the art as the pattern outlining on the white appears aesthetically pleasing. You will be provided with many options between different types of stamps with many beautiful patterns ranging from traditional flowers, classical lining style to geometric designs.
You are also free to make up your own designs – by going free-hand – which most of the tourists enjoy the most.
The maximum length of fabric that a batik maker can work with is 8-10 metres but for tourists, you will only get one piece of square cloth. The length of fabric cannot be altered because there are certain steps in the process that would require the fabric being stretched out on a wooden frame, just like a painting.
After the first step, you will have to get your white fabric dyed and waxed along the drawing patterns. The process can be repeated several times to get a stunning multi-coloured result.
The second step might be the most difficult to complete because it requires a skillful hand. According to professional batik makers, if you are not skillful enough in holding the waxing pen and using the right techniques to draw, your patterns and drawing can be totally ruined. This was why we mentioned earlier that the whole doting and waxing steps require endurance and a high commitment.
For the third step, the batik makers will send the waxed fabric to be hand-stamped with hot wax. This means that the stamped fabric has been bleached, so the background fabric which is without wax would have lost some of its colour and vibrancy. The bleached fabric would then be re-dyed on the part of the fabric that is without wax.
The last, but most certainly not the least, important step is repeatedly ‘smoking’ the fabric to get a more nuanced background colour. Thereafter, the fabric will be boiled at a high temperature as to remove the wax and what comes out will be the final result of your Batik-making process.
Traditionally cottons and silks were made into Batik using natural dyes in indigo blues, soga browns and black. Today with the development of artificial dyes we are gifted with all the colours of the rainbow.
There are a multitude of different techniques that you can apply to tweak the outcome or look of your Batik. This is the real magic of the Batik maker to continue to make Batik interesting with new effects and techniques that live up to modern day fancies.
